Sirens
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: After a string of robberies in the area of Miami, rookie detective Austin Moon is assigned an undercover task of catching who seems to be the uncatchable criminal. Once he lures her in, he learns more and more about the brunette goddess and the entire scenario makes him question is morals as an officer. Cop!Austin and Criminal!Ally AU.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is based both off the music video for the song "Stay" by Safety Suit, and the song "Sirens" by Lee Brice. It's a mix of the two. I thought it was interesting, and cop!Austin and Criminal!Ally was something I couldn't put down, so here we go. I'm posting this is two parts, and today you get the first half.**

 **Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Rookie Detective Austin Moon walked into work one early summer morning, his mind still tucked underneath the covers of his full size bed, and his body somehow moving without it. He sucked down the mud-like coffee, hoping it would do its damn job in time. Granted, the man should've been used to it. They all hadn't left the station until well after midnight the night before, having enough paperwork to sink a ship. Still, somehow his chatty partner, Dez Wade was already at his desk, piecing through what looked to be a newspaper, feet up and humming from behind the gray pages.

"Morning, Moon."

Austin grumbled as he collapsed into his seat, wondering if he could catch a five minute nap before Captain Jimmy Star came walking into the room. He would never be that lucky, of course:

"Dude, Captain wants you."

"For what?"

He barely managed to raise his head enough to see his partner give him a teasing smile. "Dunno. It sounded important though. I wouldn't keep him waiting."

He grimaced, forcing himself to stand and glance toward the office. The door was open, but he couldn't see much else from where he stood. His boss was a hard ass and wanted nothing but the best from his entire force. Austin could respect that, but in that moment, he truly just needed a few more minutes of composure. He settled for slugging the last of his coffee and tossing the empty container in the garbage can beside his desk before he headed that direction.

"If he fires my ass, I don't know what I'll do."

"He won't fire you," Dez snorted.

Austin rolled his eyes and walked the remaining way to the office, stopping short when he heard the older veteran man on the phone. He waited until he was off, hearing bits and pieces of what seemed to be a conversation about some sort of burglary. Finally, he walked into the highly decorated office filled with awards and other glory shots from his boss's own detective days.

"Good morning, Detective Moon."

"Morning, Sir. Wade said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," the man agreed, waving his hand. "Shut the door and take a seat."

Austin swallowed hard. He'd only made detective status a few months ago, he didn't want to already watch his career wallow away. He had a life to live, a family to eventually have… a wife out there somewhere just waiting for him to dazzle her with his wonderful smile and… he was getting carried away. Right then, he had to focus on Captain Starr's voice and whatever the hell he was going to tell him. If he fired him, there wasn't much he could do about it. They weren't exactly the NYPD or LAPD, but their little humble town of Miami did quite well in crime and other needs. Hell, he'd even saved a cat or two in his day.

"Hope you got some sleep last night," the man started with, raising his own cup of coffee. "Lots of jokes for us in this field about coffee, but I don't think we'd survive without it. Thank you for being on time and with us this morning, Moon. I appreciate that."

He didn't understand where this was going, but he wouldn't turn down a compliment.

"Sure thing. What's going on though?"

And maybe a little bravery while he was at it.

"I was made aware this morning of a burglary chain that has been going on in the area. A young woman that we haven't caught the name of, or tied to anything but the string of robberies has been quite busy with some smaller bank chains. She's struck mainly at night, but sometimes early morning before the managers get in. She takes whatever she can and is out the door before the cops arrive. She's managed to disable cameras and leave behind not many clues." He reached for a piece of paper, handing it to Austin. "We only have this photo of her, taken by a nearby security camera of a convenience store down the street. And we also have a witness that says he saw her at his bar several times in the last few weeks. She doesn't stay long, only enough time to pick up a guy or two, and then leaves. He only noticed it was her because of us surveying the area. We're pretty sure his woman and ours is a match."

Austin listened carefully as his boss spoke, not sure why this wasn't going to the main office. Seemed like they were on a pretty big mission to stop this woman.

"That's where you come in."

Brought back to his attention, Austin furrowed his brow and looked at his boss with confusion.

"Me?"

"You fit the description of the men she picks up. Blond, in good physical condition… easy on the eyes kind of deal," he said, giving him a teasing smile. "That makes you a perfect plant for our sting. She's been moving into bigger and larger branches of banks, we think it's only a matter of time before she hits one big and because there are so many different banks in the area, it would be hard to patrol each one and there just isn't enough manpower for that. Our only hope is to get undercover. We suspect she works with these men a time or two, pays them off, and then moves on… you would be her new beau, essentially. What do you think, Detective Moon?"

He was surprised his boss was throwing such a large task at him.

"What else should I know? Is she armed?"

"We assume so, yes. If you don't want the task, I can let chain of command know. I'm sure we can assign this to someone else." Austin wasn't stupid. He knew this could make his career and if he said no, he not only did not look good in front of his own boss, but in front of the higher ups in the Miami police departments.

He swallowed hard. "Okay. What do I have to do?"

 _Sirens_

"I can't believe you're going undercover! Who am I going to ride around with now? Who will I talk to during the day? What about the long weekend shifts when nothing happens? This is horrible!" Dez was a bit dramatic. He also was one of the best cops he'd ever met. Dez was one of those who if you saw him on the street outside of work, you'd never believe he was a cop. But in the zone, he was one of the best.

Austin had known him since their extreme rookie days and had watched him grow into the man he'd become. Now married with a newborn baby boy, he couldn't be more pleased for his best friend and partner.

Still, he was a moron.

"Dez, you'll be fine. It's only for a little while. I just got to get a girl to trust me and I'll be back."

"You're with a criminal!" Dez reminded him. "A woman who has robbed half a dozen banks and gotten away with all of it except for ONE picture. Do you know how incredible that is?"

"I read the file, Dez. Yes. I do. I'll be fine." He looked in the mirror, staring at his reflection. He was set to leave the building in a half an hour, not to come back until his undercover was complete. He'd been given a lot in the last few days: new wardrobe, a new phone, and even a fake apartment until it was all said and done. His new identity was Austin Lynch, and he was an upcoming musician from the area. Hopefully this mystery girl liked someone who could make a song or two.

"I worry about you, man. You know, ever since…"

Austin rolled his eyes. "Dude, you got shot that day."

Dez flicked his wrist, exposing the flesh wound and only proving just how ridiculous he was being. "Yes! Taking a shot that was meant for you!"

"Relax. Dude. I'll be fine."

Dez huffed. "Fine. Excuse me for giving a fuck."

"Oh shut up. I'll see you soon." He waved to his partner and then made one last stop in his boss's office before he would leave. Jimmy Starr smiled at him when he entered, shaking his head.

"You look like a pop star, Moon."

"That's Lynch," he said back. "And I feel a bit grungy. Is that how this works?"

"Something like that. You have your burn phone on, right? It's linked to the main office as well as my personal phone and your partners. If you ever feel you need help, you know who to contact. There is also a weapon and several other useful items at your disposal in the brief case. Try to stay at the bar as long as you can. We need every chance we have to catch her. Hopefully no one has spilled and spooked her from this location."

"Gotcha, Captain."

He gathered up his things.

"And Moon?"

"Yeah?"

His boss nodded his head. "Stay safe."

 _Stay safe_ he thought as he got the key to his new apartment. This hadn't even crossed his mind until his partner and boss were drilling it into his head. He slid the key into the hole, trying to ignore the thoughts now in his head and let himself in. Inside the apartment was furnished, though sparsely, and he took a seat down on the couch to look over the woman's file and the notes he'd been given.

Much like his boss told him, they didn't have much on her. A few witness accounts that didn't all add up and a blurry picture of what looked like a dark haired girl wearing extremely tight clothing with her hair tied up. He squinted at the picture, bringing it closely to his face. In his mind, he heard his partner teasing him that he needed glasses. With a snort, he set it down and went back to the written file.

 _Suspect has fled the scene of six robberies through the suburbs of Miami, leaving each with well over one hundred thousand dollars. Suspect is quick; evidence is slim._

The police work was thorough, but much like stated, what they had was slim.

He didn't even really know what to look for tonight when he got to the bar.

But he knew why he was doing this and what it meant for him as a person. Criminals were criminals; anyone who tried to deny that was simply an excuse for the person. Austin couldn't think of a reason to defend someone who had broken the law in a way that was cemented. After all, his childhood best friend had dealt with one all of his life before he met his demise. And he was sure that no one had defended Jace. Plenty defended the scumbag who beat him to death, though. Austin didn't stand for that. It was why he went into law enforcement. He wanted to make the difference.

Maybe he couldn't save Jace, but he could save others.

Sometime later, he had fixed his hair and himself, getting ready to head for the door. In the briefcase he was given, he found several weapons, including a small handgun that he tucked into the back of his jeans. Hopefully if he did score with this woman, she wouldn't catch it before he'd be able to remove it. He also slipped the burn phone into his pocket, and a few other things that were probably important. By the time he was done, it was well past ten pm and he was on his way.

The bar wasn't anything fancy. The lights glowed beneath the street, one or two looking like they might go out at any second. There were a few customers outside smoking cigarettes, chatting about their weeks and bitching like most would. He didn't get stopped at the door like you would in some of the fancier places, he was able to let himself in and find an empty seat toward the middle. A busty bartender smiled at him and offered him service. He asked for a beer. He could be here a while, he wanted something he could sip and drink a while so that he wouldn't end up sloshed and unable to do his job.

He people watched for a while, allowing what he hoped looked like a laid back personality as he scanned the room for anyone who might meet her description. The art of undercover work was hard to master, and he was barely a novice. Besides, there was still the chance that rumors had spread and the woman that already left the area and moved on. He could only hope that the owner had been right and that she would come back.

Two hours later, and Austin was losing hope. He'd burned through three beers and was getting a suspicious eye from the bartender, and he desperately had to pee. Austin didn't want to get up though, afraid he'd somehow miss her if he headed to the men's room. But his bladder didn't give a damn any longer, and he rose from the tall chairs and turned toward the back of the bar, almost immediately bumping into someone.

He recognized her immediately. The same soft looking face stared back at him, except this time her hair was down and she was wearing a cocktail dress. She was like something out of a damn movie. He could've believe something as delicate but stunning was responsible for something so… well, criminal. And if he was being honest, she was checking him out. Austin quickly put a smile on his face.

"Hey, sorry. I didn't see you there."

The woman's lips curved into a smile. "Right."

"Do you want this seat? I'm gonna run to the men's room."

"I don't know," she answered. "Are you going to come back and keep me company after?"

Austin had an easy in, clearly. "Sure." He offered her what he hoped looked like an interested smile, then nodded to the bartender. "Whatever she orders, add it to my tab. I'll be right back."

"I'll be here," she purred.

Once alone, he hurried into one of the stalls instead of the urinal, texting his captain as he relieved himself, alerting the others that he'd made contact. Quickly, then he checked for his gun on his back. Finding it there safely, he went to the sink and quickly washed up. By the time he was done, the girl was already sipping on some sort of cocktail.

"What are you drinking?" he asked, slipping into the stool next to hers.

"Rum and coke," she said easily.

Disgusting, if he were honest. "Make it two," he said to the bartender. "So, what's a girl like you doing here by yourself?"

She snorted, "What a line. That's the best you got for me?"

He put up his hands, laughing easily. "Jeez! It was just a question. I'm not so good at this."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

Austin pretended to rub his neck, then leaned closer to her so that their faces were only inches apart. "I just got out of a long term relationship. My skills are a bit rusty."

She stared into his eyes. "Hmm."

"Hmm?"

"But your eyes are so interesting," she answered, her lips curving again. He had to give her credit. For a suspected criminal, she surely had a beautiful smile. Especially when it was clearly flirting with him. The dress she wore hung tightly to her petite frame, her curves practically screaming at him. She wasn't overdone in make up either; it was mainly natural except for a dark pink lip stain and some eyeliner that stood out. Mystery girl was beautiful.

"You never told me your name," he realized.

The girl leaned back, breaking the moment. "I'm Ally. And you?"

"Austin," he replied. The bartender brought him his drink. "What's your story?"

"My story?"

"I told you mine. I got dumped. Hence the bar. What's yours?"

"Can't a girl drink without reason?"

Austin smirked, "Sure. But you gotta give me something."

"Is that so?"

The two of them looked at each other with teasing eyes. "Well, yeah. It's only fair."

"I came to let off some steam," she finally shrugged. "It's been a long week."

"I hear that," he answered.

Sometime later, mystery girl turned Ally had told him about her supposed job as a nanny and how she only recently moved to Miami and that she was hoping to finish school to become a physical therapist. He listened intently, picking up anything that he could deem useful. And not to his surprise, when he glanced at the clock and saw it was almost two, she was still talking to him.

"So, they're closing soon," he started, eyeing the bartender, who was still giving him shifty eyes. "Why don't we get out of here?"

Ally nearly purred, "You _are_ out of practice. I thought you'd never ask."

"My place?"

"Sure."

Ally made herself comfortable on his bed while he excused himself for a weak bladder a second time, hiding his gun in a place that she wouldn't look. He quickly splashed some water on his face and alerted his command a second time, then reentered his bedroom to see her sprawled out on the bed, giggling at him.

"Your bed is comfy," she stated.

"Is that so?" he asked, teasing her like she'd teased him.

Sitting down next to her, she curled into him. "Oh yeah."

"So, where were you from before you moved here for school?"

"All over," she said easily, as if her answers weren't clues for him. "I have lived all over Florida and the south before my parents died."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I've gotten over it. What about you? You a beach boy all your life?"

"Pretty much."

"You never told me what you do for a living," she realized.

Austin shrugged, "I'm a musician. Working my way up in crappy bars."

"You mean you could've gotten on that old stage they had and serenaded me but you didn't? Damn, you dropped the ball."

He ignored her teasing, giving her a look. She sat up in bed, pulling the straps off of her dress so that he could see a little more. Her eyes darkened and her lips pulled into a pout. Holy shit, he thought. They had to give me an undercover assignment that was some sort of goddess. At least it made it easy.

Sometime later, clothes were shed and she was on top of him, proving just how experienced she was. He enjoyed it, glad that she was doing the majority of the work. He would get in on it in parts, but she worked her way around his body, making him ache in places he never realized he could. He was far from a virgin, but this girl knew how to have him hard, keep him there, and then relieve him too.

The clock read almost five am by the time he glanced at it as she slept peacefully beside him. Austin got up, heading for the bathroom so that he could make sure she was truly asleep first. He wanted to go through her small bag, see if he could find anything, but he knew if she woke and caught him doing that, he'd never have another chance. It was so small though, what could she have in there? He'd seen her reapply her lip stain at some point, and saw a small phone and other necessities, but he wanted to be concise in his report that he didn't miss a thing.

But he didn't trust that Ally wasn't a light sleeper. So, he waited.

And somehow fell back asleep beside her as the sun rose in the apartment.

He could've kicked himself when he woke up to see that she was gone. She even cleaned up his clothes, having folded them and left them on the chair near his bed. Austin groaned, knowing he should've done something last night. Instead, he pleased himself. Then, he noticed a piece of paper tucked underneath the clothes and rushed over, picking it up.

 _Austin,_

 _Sorry I had to go, but I promise you I had a good time last night. ;) So… if you did too, maybe you could meet me here, later:_

 _151 Main St_

 _Miami, FL_

 _-Ally_

 _P.S. You sure aren't out of practice in bed._

Austin bit back a laugh. He sat down on the bed, shaking his head. He recognized the address as a well known coffee shop downtown, and quickly alerted his boss to the new details of his case. So far, she hadn't admitted to anything crime related, and he couldn't exactly ask her about it. What would he say? "So, what do you do in your spare time? Rob banks?" That would clearly ruin their cover. Still, his boss told him to head to the shop and be ready for whatever she was going to throw at him.

Austin dressed a lot more comfortably this time, in jeans and a loose fitting blank t shirt. He ran his hands through his hair, going for the rockstar persona, and then grabbed what he needed. He didn't have a time to meet Ally, and he wasn't even sure if she would show. There was definite chemistry, but a part of him wondered just how attached she would get to someone as a criminal.

By the time he got there, it was almost noon. He ordered a black coffee with a bagel and took a seat near the back, so that he was able to watch whoever came in. And much to his surprise, just as he sank his teeth into the first bites of his bagel, Ally strolled in wearing a pair of tight jeans and a tank top, hair dangling and sunglasses on her face. Holy shit, was she hot. Austin shifted in his seat. He'd have to complain about that to Dez later. Next time, he wanted to work undercover where he wouldn't have to worry about that.

"Glad you came," she said as she found him, slipping into her seat. She ordered a coffee of her own, taking off her sunglasses. "Sorry it took me a while to get here – not sure how long you've been waiting."

"Not long."

"I was visiting someone."

"Yeah?"

He noticed her entire posture change; her flirty quips disappear. In those seconds, he noticed she looked older, more worried much unlike the girl he met last night. Ally eyed him, studying him as if looking for something. Then, she sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter if I tell you. You showed up, so you clearly like me."

Austin leaned forward, wondering if she was about to spill about her life of crime.

He got something he didn't expect instead.

"Remember how I told you my parents died?" He nodded. "Well, my brother was in the car with them when they had the accident. Some punk ass moron was texting and driving. Hit them going about 60mph, killing my parents instantly. My little brother was in the backseat, so he survived – but barely. He sustained serious damage to his head… they didn't think he was going to make it. His brain swelled constantly for weeks on end, and he was in a coma for four months." She wiped away some tears, and Austin put his arm on hers. "He's not the same Brad anymore… he hasn't been and he never will be. My little brother's life was taken that night, you know?"

"I'm so sorry, Ally."

She smiled at him through the tears. "So, if you want to run, go ahead. I don't usually tell people about that."

"No, no. I won't leave you. I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me."

"Yeah, well… that's new too. Anyway, he's in a treatment facility a few miles away. He works with physical therapists every day so that he can walk again, speech therapists and all that… but it's not enough. His brain is too damaged. Some days, he doesn't even remember who I am. He gets terrible headaches, he has days where he just is angry. It can be so hard."

Austin swallowed hard. He never expected something like this from her, but he wondered at least a little if it was all an act. Sometimes criminals could be great storytellers.

"Anyway," she said, wiping her tears. "That's enough. I didn't come here so that I could make you pity me." The man brought her her coffee. "Thanks." She sipped it. "So, what do you have planned for today? Doing musician things?"

He chuckled, "No, just going to spend the day relaxing. What about you?"

Her expression changed again, becoming more serious and he shifted in his seat, uncomfortable. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Jeez, moving that quickly?" he teased.

Ally didn't humor him, "Are you busy?"

"No," he said honestly, trying to keep calm. "Why?"

"Do you think you could help me with something?"

"Sure, what's up?"

She relaxed. "I'll tell you later, but it wouldn't be until probably late, late tonight, maybe even the morning. You have a car, right?"

"Of course."

Ally sank back. "Great."

"Do you want to do dinner first?" He might as well continue to earn her trust. He had a sinking suspicion that whatever she wanted tonight would not be legal. He could only hope it would lead him to an arrest.

"Sure. But you'll have to drop me off after and I'll call you when I'm ready."

"That's fine. I'm in no rush."

Ally shook her head. "You're very easy going. I like that."


	2. Chapter 2

**Second half. Thanks for the love. You're all awesome. :)**

 **Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Austin was alone that afternoon, seated on his bed while on the phone with his boss. He was explaining how the night would go, how backup if needed would only be a few blocks away. He wanted him to come back into the station so that they could bug him, but Austin suspected if they were truly going to do this tonight, she would probably know what to look for, when it came to that kind of thing. A criminal like herself didn't get to where she was without learning the ropes of law enforcement.

"I'll be a block away with Dallas," Dez added in, speaking over his boss. "You call me the second you need me. A text. Whatever. I'm there. Let's get the bitch."

Austin closed his eyes. When he was talking with Ally, he sometimes forgot that he was undercover lurking a criminal to bait. He was easily taken away by her story, which he still suspected could just be bait of her own, and her pretty, full eyelashes that batted at the dime. It made it rough when the others wanted to get her so badly.

"Alright. Thanks guys. I'm meeting her for dinner at eight. I'll keep you in the loop then."

"Should we show up there too? Plant ourselves?"

"Wouldn't be a bad idea," Captain Starr commented. "I'll ask Detective Martin to accompany you, Wade."

"Cassidy? God, I'm in for it tonight."

Austin chuckled. Detective Cassidy was a couple years ahead of them experience wise, and she was a hard ass. She was also an incredible cop who had the best track record of them all. If anyone was going to have his back other than his best friend and partner, he was glad it was her.

"Alright. We'll play the lovely couple. I'll let her know."

They hung up sometime later, and Austin focused his energy on preparing for his date that night. They'd exchanged numbers, and he was convinced that both of their phones were burners, but that didn't matter. He was supposed to meet her at the same coffee shop at seven thirty and they could drive to the restaurant from there. Austin's car, of course. He had a sinking feeling he would be the getaway driver later that night.

According to reports, their once mystery girl would strike every two to three days, hitting different parts of the town, making it nearly impossible to track her. Miami had over three dozen banks in its city and suburb area. They couldn't put uniforms on all of them.

At seven fifteen, he left his apartment and headed to the coffee shop, finding Ally standing there in a beautiful blue dress. She jogged up to him and planted a kiss on his lips. He teetered back, not expecting the display of affection. She ate this up, giggling at his dumbfounded look. Did he mention she was a fantastic kisser? He really would have a tough time separating his primal instincts with his cop ones tonight if she kept displaying her own talents. Austin showed her to his car regardless and they drove mainly in silence to an Italian restaurant that he knew Dez and Trish enjoyed.

By the time they were seated, it was nearly eight thirty. Austin noticed his partner and Detective Martin in the corner watching them. They probably had technology in place so that they could hear every word they said.

He decided to bait her, "So, what are we doing tonight?"

Ally took a sip of her champagne. "It's not important. I'll let you know when we get there."

"Where will I pick you up?"

"How about the coffee shop again?"

Austin played into it, "I'm starting to think you're homeless."

"Funny," she teased. "Don't worry about it."

"How's your brother?"

That got her off her game. She sighed, taking a sip. "I ran by again after we left earlier. He's alright. I told you, it's a rough time. I just wish there was something I could do to help him. He's got a great staff where he is…" she trailed off. He sensed a but coming. "But the facility is a lot of money and I've already exhausted our parent's life insurance. I'm running so low on funds, I don't know what else to do."

Dez gave him a look from the booth across the way. There was their motive.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Austin said with sympathy.

"I hope so. He did nothing wrong. I don't want to see him suffer because of it."

He changed the subject, noticing it seemed to really bother her, "So, what do you like to do for fun?"

She shrugged, still clearly upset. "I don't know. I sort of lost interest in a lot of the things I enjoyed. I used to go with him to the park when we were younger and we'd watch the clouds. I also like writing… sort of journals and stuff. You know?"

"Yeah. I get that."

Ally sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm making this so miserable. Let's talk about something else."

"It's okay."

The conversation did change though and Austin again found himself not hating the girl who he was speaking with. Of course, they'd yet to actually confirm she was their bank robber, but all signs did point to yes. As much as she was a criminal, he did enjoy her company. She was goofy and seductive, but then again, it was probably all an act. He had to remember that.

By the time he dropped her off back in front of the coffee shop, he was whirling from their conversations. But his boss had other ideas, "Maybe you should follow her."

"I can't. She knows my car."

"So, keep your distance."

"Send Wade and Dallas. I don't want to jeopardize my chances here, boss."

The man hummed. "Alright. Let me know if anything changes."

Austin spent the evening watching a crappy movie on TV, sitting in his boxers while waiting for a phone call. Midnight passed, then one o'clock. Soon two, then it was three. He was beginning to think, both from his own thoughts to his partner's that Ally was going to bail on him. It was nearly four when he finally got a text.

 _I'm outside your apartment. Are you ready?_

Austin cursed, quickly texting her he'd be down in a minute. Throwing on shoes, slipping his badge into his pocket, and tucking his gun away, he hurried down the stairs, alerting his boss and partner on the way. They were doing this. He made it to the front of the building to see Ally in dark black clothes, bound tightly to her body. Her hair was made up in a bun, and she had no make up on her face. Even with the dark lighting, he could tell she meant business. For the first time, a chill swept him. He _was_ dealing with a criminal.

"What's going on? Where are we going?"

He noticed she carried a duffel bag. She didn't answer him, only pointed to the car.

Austin nodded, opening the door for her. He popped the trunk and she dropped the bag there, paying it no mind as she slammed the metal frame and got in beside him. They sat in silence for a moment, him waiting for her to give directions. She took a deep breath, finally looking at him. For a second, he thought he saw remorse. Then it was gone.

"You're going to drive five blocks north, then make a right. I'll tell you where to go next."

"Where are we going?"

Another look.

"You're kind of scaring me, Ally."

"You said you'd help me, remember that."

Austin stopped the car, playing along still. "That sounded like you think I'm going to back out."

"Well, are you?"

He gave her a look, "I can't exactly answer that when you won't tell me what's going on."

"Do you trust me?"

He knew he was getting close. "Of course."

"Good. Then drive."

He played along, then thought he'd try to make a joke, as if he didn't know what she was truly doing. "I sort of feel like we're on a secret crime spree or something. Can I play some badass music or something?"

"Shut up, Austin."

The change was astonishing, if he were honest. Gone was the bubbly girl he'd gotten to know in the last two days, instead he was met with someone who was stone cold and focused. They reached the block as he thought this, and she instructed him to make a left. Up ahead, he could see a nation wide bank chain coming up. He knew his partner and Dallas weren't far behind in an unmarked car. She alerted him to drive another half a mile and then park.

Finally, they stopped. Ally turned to him. "Stay here, don't make any noise. Don't alert anyone to your presence. I'll only be a couple minutes."

"Can you tell me what's going on?"

"No. I'm sorry. It's safer that way."

"I thought you trusted me!"

Ally smiled, the familiar one from the bar the night before, "I do. That's why you're here."

 _Sadly_ , he thought as she got out of the car, _that's going to be your downfall_.

He watched as she headed for the bank, duffel bag in hand. He looked behind him to see his partner and Dallas a few cars back, watching intently, waiting for the go-ahead from his boss. Austin sat in his own car, feeling the cool metal of his gun press against his back. It was only five minutes later when Ally came jogging back his direction, her duffel now a lot more packed, a look that seemed less than calm on her face.

"Drive!" she spat, her voice cold. "Something went wrong. _Drive_!"

Before he could pretend to ask, Dallas and Dez put on their siren. Ally cursed, throwing the bag into the back of his car, yelling at him to hurry up. The car pretended to give chase, and Austin played along, knowing that they had to at least make it look real. In best case scenario, Ally wouldn't even know he was a cop. It would protect his identity in the long run.

That's when she pulled out the gun. "Keep the car steady."

"What the hell are you doing? What the hell is going on? Ally?! Is that a gun? Those are cops behind us? Can you please tell me what the hell is going on?!"

"Shut up and DRIVE, Austin!"

She cocked the gun, turning off the safety. His heart hammered in its chest for real. She was about to open fire on his partner and Dallas. Austin wished to swerve the car enough that it would miss, but it would alert her of the truth. She leaned out the window and fired a couple shots. He heard the sound of a tire going, and the sound of metal hitting metal before one of them returned fire. It hit his back windshield, cracking it. Another hit his mirror.

"DRIVE FASTER!" she yelled. "Head for the back roads!"

"I want to know what the hell is going on! You didn't tell me I'd be running from the cops!"

"You said you trusted me!"

A gun shot hit another part of his car, and Austin secretly wanted to turn around and remind his partner that HELLO, he was in the vehicle that they were trying to take down, too. Soon, they were on the back roads and a couple other cop cars were following theirs. Ally was reloading her gun as they spoke over the microphone for them to pull over and surrender.

"We're not stopping for nothing," she growled.

He didn't know what to say to that.

He was even more shocked when she pulled out a rifle. Where the hell did this girl come from?!

She shot off a couple more rounds, taking out one car completely. He was amazed by her shot. The fear in his heart was becoming more real by the second. One of those was going to hit his partner.

"Here, switch with me. I'm going to drive. We have go to lose them."

He was handed the gun. "Go for the driver of the unmarked car. Bastard looks thrilled."

He glanced that direction, seeing it was Dez driving. Their tire was losing air from the bullet hole, but amazingly, they still had decent speed. He swallowed hard. He would not take a shot at his best friend, regardless of his undercover work or not. He just couldn't.

"Can you take the shot already? They're gaining on us again!"

Austin played it well, "I am not shooting a _cop_! I'm not a _criminal_ , Ally!"

"Yeah, I said that once myself. You get over it fast. Do you want to live? We have got to get enough distance between us and the police or they're going to catch us and we're going to die. Now do something!"

He aimed for the tires of his friend's car, figuring if he didn't play along, she'd get suspicious. He'd play along until they were out of immediate danger and then ditch her, allowing the cops to catch up. He didn't want to be there when she was caught. So, he fired a couple of shots, finally taking out the front wheel that was damaged, and the other one. The car skirted off into the dust, coming to a stop a few feet away. He was glad it ended that easily for them. There were still two cars behind them and Austin hoped this was what his boss wanted. He aimed for the tires again as they fired back. He got off one shot and the car swerved, crashing into a guard rail. That left one. He closed his eyes as Ally cackled and hoped he'd be forgiven for it all. He probably just injured two cops to keep his cover.

Then, he felt it. The worst pain he'd ever felt. In surprise, he looked over at his shoulder and saw the blood already beginning to pool through his t shirt.

"Shit, I'm hit!"

Ally cursed too, picking up more speed if that was even possible. Still, he focused on the task and managed to get one last shot off, disabling the final cop car on the chase. Much like his criminal partner, he knew they only had seconds to get off the trail before they were caught. Ally swerved off the path, into the dust of some sort of unmarked road. He had a sinking suspicion that she'd been there before from how she drove it. And not to his surprise, he was right. She parked the car about five minutes later, coming forward and opening his door.

"How bad is it?"

"I'm alright," he said through gritted teeth, wishing his friends would catch up. "What do we do now? I'm officially a freakin' criminal."

"Relax. They'll have no ties to you."

"Are you kidding me?" he seethed. "You were in my car! I was driving, firing off shots! People saw us all day yesterday together! They'll have a case against us in no time!"

"You agreed to this!" she yelled back, ushering him into what looked like an abandoned house. "You said you would help me!"

"You never told me I'd be part of some sort of heist!"

"Listen," she snapped, closing the door. "I couldn't tell you that. Would you have helped me?"

"No!" he shot back. "Because I'm not a criminal like you!"

That came straight from the heart. In those moments, he was not speaking as his undercover, but as Austin Moon, the cop who wanted to keep the good guys safe, and the bad guys off the damn streets. He didn't care in those seconds what she might say, as far as he was concerned, she was ruthless and brutal. He only hoped none of those shots hurt his friends directly.

"You would be surprised what you do when you need the money," she said quietly, her voice finally coming back to regular tones. His stomach twisted at the paling girl, her now gentle eyes and cautious words. She set the duffel bad down on the couch, revealing inside several wads of bills. Then, she walked toward the kitchen, leaving him alone.

He took the time to survey the area, seeing that the house was probably condemned. There were spots in the roof that were once wet, and buckets and pails covering the floor where it probably leaked. The couch was musty and the blanket next to him looked somewhat new. For just a second, he felt for the girl. She really did stay here.

"They weren't supposed to even be alerted of the robbery until we were at least a mile away," she said, coming back in. She had gauze and some other medical supplies, coming closer to him. He inched away. "Look, you can stay mad at me, or you can let me help you. We can't stay here long, but I don't want you bleeding out on me, either."

"Why should I even bother with you anymore?"

Ally leaned over so that she could tear his t shirt, and Austin squirmed in his seat. The bullet hurt like a mother fucker. Ally handed him a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Take a sip."

She ignored everything he was saying. Instead, she worked on getting the bullet out of him, and Austin bit back antagonizing screams as she did. He would never make fun of his partner's flesh wound scar ever again. The pain of being hit was the worst he'd ever felt. It didn't help that a young woman with probably little medical training was the one patching him up.

Granted, she did a decent job. It only took about fifteen minutes for her to finish, and when she was done, she threw the supplies on the floor and sat next to him.

"You look like you hate me."

"Well, yeah."

"I thought you were different," she admitted. "I thought you were someone I could make a change with. I thought I could … I thought… I don't know."

Austin saw the genuine fear in her eyes. Despite how tough she came off as, in those few seconds he saw her unravel. Tears streamed down her face as she wiped them away, and he waited until she spoke again.

"I never lied to you… I swear that. My brother really is in a treatment facility and I have no money to help him. This is the only way I can. I can keep him inside there for several years now, at least until I can figure something out. I never wanted it to be this way, but what am I supposed to do? I had to drop out of school because I couldn't afford it, the same apartment I was living in was taken from me. My parents had so much debt when they died, their life insurance was practically nothing. I'm screwed. My baby brother is all I have left and I refuse to let him live any way other than the best. He deserves that. After all, he's eventually going to see his own sister go to jail. They're going to catch me now… it's only a matter of time. Life on the run is not safe. They'll find me."

In those seconds, in her intense reveal, he truly felt for her. She was open, a complete truth as she spoke. He didn't see the veiled attempts to hide something from him; she didn't speak like she was trying to get something from him. She only said the absolute truth.

And somehow, she didn't look like a hardass criminal anymore.

She was a scared little girl who turned to the wrong thing.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I should've never involved you. Now we're both screwed."

Austin sank in his seat. The pain was dulling, both from the painkillers she'd given him and the buzz of the alcohol, so his mind was finally clearing. He knew it was a matter of time before the GPS in his phone led his friends and fellow cops here, and if he was going to do what came to mind, he would have to do it soon. It was against everything in his being, against everything he stood for, but somehow, he knew it was right.

"You need to go."

"What?"

Austin sat up, looking at her. "Get out of here, now. Take my car. Get as far as you can."

"Austin, I'm not going to leave you here injured. That bandage isn't going to hold. You'll need medical attention again soon enough."

"Don't worry about me. They'll come for me."

"I won't let you take the blame."

"I won't."

"How is that possible?"

He took a deep breath, hoping that in his next moments, the bullet wound in his shoulder would stay the only gun shot in him. He dug into his pocket, pulling out his police badge. He watched her eyes go wide, watched her get up and stumble away from him.

"That's why they got to you so quickly. I'm so sorry, Ally."

"You! You tricked me! You got me to trust you! I can't believe you!"

Ally ranted and screamed for a couple of minutes, threatening him and crying more. Finally, she calmed down and came up close to him, punching him right in the jaw. It stung more than he expected it to. Still, when she was done, she sank down next to him.

"I should've known you were a cop. You seemed too calm in the car."

"I'm sorry." He touched her shoulder. "But you need to go. Now. I'm letting you go."

"Aren't your friends going to know this?" she snorted. "Why should I believe you? How do I know that you're not just setting me up for some sort of sting right now? How do I know you're not bugged or the cops aren't about to bust through the door?"

"Because their not," he said quietly. "Listen to me. I want you to get the rope that is in your duffel, the masking tape over there, and tie me to a chair. Tightly. If you have to rough me up, the better." He closed his eyes. "I'm probably going to regret this, but I'm letting you go. Take it as a mercy and get the hell out of here. Get as far as you can, change your hair, change your name… just get the hell out of Miami."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because despite everything, for some reason you changed my thought process. And I am going to take the chance that you truly were doing this for your brother. And if you're not, I will find you and I won't be so kind next time."

"What about my brother?" 

Austin sighed, "I promise you he'll be taken care of."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I can. Give me his full name and where he is, and I'll make sure of it. You have my word." He gave her the most genuine look he'd probably given her since they met. "Now get the rope and tie me up. We only have a few minutes."

She listened and he was attached to the chair within seconds. He told her to punch him a few times, bust his lip and his nose with the sharp object to her left. Then, she took some of the money she stole and slipped it into another bag, shoving the small amount of clothes she had left. Finally, she came up beside him, holding two pictures. One of them was of her and a younger male. He realized it was her brother. She looked at him, "This is Brad. Keep him safe for me."

"I will."

"And this one is of me. Maybe you can keep it."

She tucked it into the waistband of his jeans, giving him that familiar teasing smile. "I'm assuming the other night was for real, right?"

He didn't wan to admit that, but it definitely was. "Yes."

"Alright."

She gathered her things, opening the door to reveal the sunrise. "Goodbye, Austin. Thank you."

"Bye, Ally."

With one final look and a smile, she closed the door.

Austin closed his eyes and waited.

By the time the cops finally caught up with them, she was long gone.


End file.
